Pride And Paperwork
by Feilyn
Summary: Because we all know it's going to happen. Fifty themes on the love between a captain and his vice. "Defeat only comes to those who stop trying." Shunsui/Nanao


_For __**darkangel1910**__ as the winner of chapter nineteen's drabble (from my fanfic _The Stage_). I hope you don't mind I did it in 1sentence form._

_God, Valentine's Day is coming up. I live in fear of bad fanfiction._

_Just a note: the __**Jewel**__ sentence is based on the fact that diamonds are cold to the touch because they leech the warmth from your fingers. Or something._

xXx

**Walking**

Had she allowed him, Shunsui would have carried her everywhere; as it was he let Nanao have her pride and only did it once a week.

**Waltz**

Nanao had danced before, of course, but had never realized just how passionate a simple waltz could be until she danced with Shunsui.

**Wishes**

Nanao never wished for love, which is probably why she was so irritated when she found herself responding to Shunsui's feelings (that were, however ostentatious, surprisingly honest).

**Wonder**

Many people wondered how someone as professional and neat as Ise Nanao could stand to be near a Captain such as Kyōraku Shunisui, let alone fall in love with him; Nanao herself never wondered and Shunsui was just glad she stayed.

**Worry**

"I'm not worried," she whispered and she almost made herself believe it until Aizen scored a long line down Shunsui's arm.

**Whimsy**

"No, I refuse to be a party to these _ridiculous_ platitudes any longer; either you do something about them instead of having them be an odd notion of fancy for you to throw out when you are bored or – mmph!"

**Waste/Wasteland**

It was directly after their victory in the wasteland of Hueco Mundo that Shunsui and Nanao shared their first kiss, and only after the assurance that there would be more to come.

**Whiskey & Rum**

Rangiku knew that Nanao didn't drink, which was why she was having such a hard time believing that was _her_ best friend carousing the streets in Shunsui's pink haori – only Shunsui's pink haori.

**War**

Their house is like a war-zone but they wouldn't have it any other way – after all, Nanao had fallen for the lazy Captain with a penchant for good sake and better naps that and it was his neat and uptight vice-captain that Shunsui was in love with.

**Weddings**

The first time Shunsui proposed, it was at Rangiku and Byakuya's wedding, drunk as he was on good sake and the better atmosphere; Nanao had hit him over the head with her fan and said when she accepted a proposal from him it would be delivered on one knee and _sober._

**Birthday**

Shunsui grins and doesn't complain too much because she said _when_, not if and it's like all his birthdays have come at once – and Shunsui has a _lot_ of birthdays.

**Blessing**

He's not really sure who to ask for permission (Nanao says it's not necessary, but he wants this done _right_); he thinks about it and thinks about it and when he finally figures it out, Rangiku laughs in his face (he takes this as a yes).

**Bias**

"You know if you come clean with this, people are going to hate you for no good reason," Rangiku cautioned, but Nanao simply didn't care.

**Burning**

People laughed when Shunsui called Nanao passionate, but he didn't respond; anyone with half a brain could see she burned with a passion of her own – you just had to know where to look.

**Breathing**

She never realised just how hard breathing was until he told he he loved her and she said it _back_ and then suddenly forgot what that whole 'in and out' thing was.

**Breaking**

"I'm happy for you and all, but if you break her heart, Shunsui, I'll break your skull," Rangiku tossed over her shoulder as she wandered off.

**Belief**

He doesn't believe in violence, can't stand it and while there have been plenty of people who disdain him because of this, Nanao can only respect him.

**Balloon**

Shunsui flung his arms wide open and declared his love for her was like a balloon (whatever that meant); Nanao calmly leant over and popped the nearest one to her then laughed at the look of absolute horror on his face before gently kissing it off.

**Balcony**

"I don't _care_ if it's one of the most romantic plays of all time, we are not adding another storey to this house so you can act out this balcony scene!"

**Bane**

For so long this lazy Captain was the bane of her existence; now she finds she can't imagine living without him.

**Quiet**

He sighs softly, seeing her slight form slumped across the paperwork; carefully, so as not to wake her, he picks her up and places her on the couch.

**Quirks**

"No, Shunsui, a quirk is something like raising an eyebrow when you're amused, falling asleep where you stand does not cou – don't you raise your eyebrow at me!"

**Question**

"Spring would be a good time for a wedding," Nanao remarks and Shunsui silently mourns the fact that he didn't get to ask after all.

**Quarrel**

There have been several times when she's gotten dangerously angry with him, so much so that he'd been forced to sleep not only on the couch but on the _doorstep_ but never once have they ever had a full-blown argument (and Shunsui would like to keep it that way, thank you very much).

**Quitting**

"You can't quit love, Nanao," Rangiku sings over her shoulder; years later, Nanao muses upon those words and decides in her case it was probably a good thing.

**Jump**

The thing about falling in love is that you have to jump first and Nanao always had a morbid fear of heights.

**Jester**

"Take it _off_; I'm not getting married to you in that ridiculous pink...oh - well, it's not a very funny joke."

**Jousting**

"You do realise that if you were to heroically win my heart in a competition like that, you'd have to get _up?_"

**Jewel**

_If she were any jewel_, Shunsui decided, _it would be a diamond; a deadly beauty who can steal the warmth from me any time she wishes._

**Just**

It's almost embarrassing to be around, but the fact remains that Shunsui believes in abstract causes such as 'Justice' and 'Honour' and practical, professional Nanao can't help but get caught up in it all.

**Smirk**

She watches clinically as he attempts to smirk at the end of his sentence before dropping a kiss on his cheek and telling him to stick with the wink.

**Sorrow**

The thing about Shunsui is that he's not afraid to _feel_, even if it hurts and Nanao has always avoided that selfsame thing (feeling, emotions, _love_) just in case it does.

**Stupidity**

No one is allowed to insult Shunsui's intelligence but herself, because Nanao knows that's it's all just a face whereas the others are all entirely serious (she doesn't think that says much about _their_ intelligence).

**Serenade**

She'd die twice before admitting it, but she only pretends to be irritated when Shunsui sneaks out of bed to stand outside their window and sing to her.

**Sarcasm**

"Oh, of course, because I'm Ise Nanao and Ise Nanao doesn't _feel_ and wouldn't dare to show such feelings even if she did, therefore couldn't _possibly_ be in love with you and – you believe me?"

**Sordid**

Nanao wasn't sure if she should be happy or horrified that it was Rangiku who had walked in on them kissing in the office; neither, it seemed, was Rangiku who stared at them for a moment before winking and sauntering back out of the room – "Well, I'll just leave the two of you to your sordid dealings and come back later, shall I?"

**Soliloquy **

Once Shunsui got started, there was no stopping him (not unless your name was Ise Nanao and you were in the mood for a bit of kissing, that is).

**Sojourn**

_Just a short trip into insanity_, Nanao assured herself as she cocked her head sideways to better observe the way Shunsui's muscles glided under his skin as he sparred, shirtless, with Kurosaki Ichigo (also shirtless, but nowhere near as interesting)

**Share**

Shunsui was a generous man, but there were three things he would never share – his sake, his naptime and his Nanao; the woman herself thwapped him over the head with her book for thinking that he had a choice in the matter.

**Solitary**

Nanao had been alone before and thought she enjoyed it well enough – after all, she was a woman, strong, capable, sure of herself; it took her a long time to realise it didn't make her any _less_ of a woman (strong, capable, sure of herself) by not being alone anymore.

**Nowhere**

"Where would you be without me?" she laughed, handing him his hat; she was more than a little shocked when he looked deep into her eyes, entirely serious and said, "Nowhere."

**Neutral**

It's impossible to be neutral in a war that is actively attempting to destroy you, but Shunsui gave it a valiant effort – right up until the war actively attempted to destroy Nanao (he wasn't happy about that).

**Nuance**

To the unpractised observer, it appeared that she was simply looking out the window; however, Shunsui was a master at Nanao-observing and could pick up the odd nuances – the tilt of her head that said she was thinking about something else, the twitch of her eyebrow that meant it wasn't suitable for public, the quirk of her lips that said it was about him…

**Near**

Shunsui claimed to have six senses, although he said the sixth was not ESP but rather a Nanao-sense – and she had to agree that no matter how many times she lost him (due to a nap or simple avoidance of paperwork) he always knew exactly where she was (and how to get under her skin).

**Natural**

It was as natural as breathing for Shunsui, falling in love; if it hadn't been so undignified, Nanao would have gone in kicking and screaming.

**Horizon**

"You know, we're like the horizon, Nanao-chan; we're never going to end."

**Valiant**

In hearing that, Nanao made a valiant attempt not to burst out laughing at how cliché that statement was; she failed, miserably, but couldn't ignore the warm-fuzzies it created – and Shunsui _knew_.

**Victory**

Shunsui knew he hadn't won Nanao, because winning was for games and the woman he loved was not to be toyed with.

**Defeat**

"Defeat only comes to those who never stop trying," Shunsui whispered; she rolled her eyes and pulled him down for a kiss.


End file.
